New website highlights where broadband access to the Internet exists--and where it doesn't

The State of Iowa is trying to improve access to the Internet through broadband services.  Creating accurate maps of broadband access is one of the first steps state officials are taking to promote broadband expansion and technology growth in Iowa.

 The information is now available through a website operated by the Iowa Broadband Deployment Governance Board, the Iowa Utilities Board and Connect Iowa, a non-profit organization funded in part by Iowa broadband providers.

The Connect Iowa mapping initiative shows that Winneshiek County largely has broadband providers—except for areas to the north and east of Decorah.  Connect Iowa says it will continue to update and refine these maps as more data is gathered.  But state officials hope the launch of the new website, www.connectiowa.org, will continue to prove to the citizens of Iowa that without sufficient broadband access and a high level of technology adoption, Iowa communities and residents will remain technologically and economically crippled in today's digital world.